1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automobile seat which has a stowage function, and more particularly relates to an stowage type seat which makes it possible to build a child seat or the like into a seat back in an interchangeable manner, and which is superior in terms of safety, economy and convenience.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the rate of increase in traffic accident fatalities involving children in passenger vehicles has reached a rate that is approximately quadruple the rate of increase in overall traffic accident fatalities in passenger vehicles, so that such fatalities involving children have shown an extremely abrupt increase. As a result of such a situation, the protection of children riding in automobiles from injury in traffic accidents has become an extremely urgent problem.
In light of such facts, the Roadway Traffic Law has been revised (Section 40 of the Law of Heisei 11 [1999]) so that the use of child auxiliary devices (hereafter referred to as “child seats”) is now mandatory in cases where the driver of an automobile carries children younger than six years of age in an automobile. Consequently, the development of child seats has been accelerated.
Such child seats are ordinarily divided into three grades, i.e., infant use (used for children with a body weight of less than 10 kg, ranging in age from newborn infants to infants 1 year of age), small child use (used for children with a body weight of 9 to 18 kg, ranging in age from about 1 to 4 years) and school-age child use (used for children with a body weight of 15 to 36 kg, ranging in age from about 4 to 10 years), in accordance with the growth stage of the child. Furthermore, various modifications have been added to such child seats from the standpoints of child safety, convenience, comfort and the like.
One example of such a child seat will be described below. A stowable child seat 81 of the type shown in FIG. 24 is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2000-23856. Specifically, an opening-and-closing part 84 which is built into the seat back 82 of an automobile seat 80 beforehand, and which is connected to the main body of the seat back 82 via a connecting part 85 so that pivoting is possible is pulled out toward the seat cushion 83 at the time of use, and this opening-and-closing part 84 is stowed by being folded into the seat back 82 when not in use, so that the seat can be used as an ordinary seat 80. This invention aims to eliminate the trouble involved in the detachment of a child seat when not in use.
Furthermore, the structure shown in FIG. 25 is generally known as a child seat belt structure. Specifically, in this structure, a lap belt 93 which is attached so as to hold the portion of the body around the lap from the area between the seat back 91 and the seat cushion 92, and a pair of shoulder belts 94 which are attached so as to pass over both shoulders and hold the upper half of the body from the upper part of the seat back 91, are all connected by a buckle 95 attached to the crotch portion of the seat cushion 92. As a result of this construction, the body of the child is securely fastened to the child seat 90 at three points, i.e., shoulders, waist and crotch, so that safety can be improved; furthermore, in cases where the belt is to be released, since this can be accomplished merely by pressing a press button 96 attached to the buckle 95 without any need to release the plurality of belts one at a time, the trouble involved in the child getting into and out of the seat, and the trouble that must be taken by the guardian assisting in this, can be reduced.
Problems to Be Solved
As was described above, child seats are divided into three grades according to the growth stage of the child, and the changing of the seat to a seat the matches the body type of the child according to these grades is naturally necessary from the standpoint of child safety; it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the responsibility of the guardian. Considering such facts in the case of the stowable child seat 81 shown in FIG. 17, since this child seat 81 is built into the automobile beforehand, replacement of the child seat 81 together with the seat 80 or together with the automobile is necessary in order to change this child seat 81 to a seat of another grade. However, considering the rapidity of child growth, child seats 81 of the respective grades can generally only be used for one year at the least, or for five years at the most, replacement of the child seat together with the seat 80 results in a conspicuous loss of economy. Furthermore, when the child grows and reaches an age (six years or older) at which the child seat 81 is no longer needed, the child seat 81 built into the seat 80 becomes unnecessary, so that the function of the seat itself becomes useless.
Meanwhile, in the case of the belt structure of the general child seat 90 shown in FIG. 18, the press button 96 that releases the belt has a push type system that allows easy release in order to reduce the burden on the assisting person as described above; furthermore, this press button is disposed on the central portion of the buckle 95, which is within a range that can be reached by the hands of the child. Accordingly, there is a considerable possibility of release caused by the pressing of the button by the child itself out of general interest or resistance to the feeling of constraint caused by the belt, or release caused by the contact of foreign objects with the push button 96 in an emergency state such as sudden braking of the automobile, collision or the like.
Object of the Invention
The present invention was devised in order to solve the abovementioned problems encountered in the prior art; it is an object of the present invention to provide a stowage type seat which allows multi-purpose use by making it possible to build a child seat or the like into the seat back in a replaceable manner, an which is also superior in terms of safety, economy and convenience.